IMO Documents

IMO Conventions

Guidance Available for Purchase

The following IMO conventions apply to or are relevant to SAR operations:

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS, 1974, as amended. Click here for link to IMO explanation.
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ( STCW) as amended, including the 1995 and 2010 Manila Amendments. Click here for IMO explanation.

Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG), 1972. Click here for IMO explanation.

International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue(SAR), 1979. Click here for IMO explanation.

Convention on the International Maritime Satellite Organization (IMSO C), 1976. Click here for IMO explanation.

The Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels (SFV), 1977,  superseded by the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol; Cape Town Agreement of 2012 on the Implementation of the Provisions of the 1993 Protocol relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels. Click here for IMO explanation.

Latest

IMRF Announces Nomination Shortlist for the IMRF Awards 2023

The IMRF has announced the finalists for this year’s IMRF Awards, recognising volunteer and professional SAR personnel from around the world.
How to get to RS Noatun
Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence appointed Patron of the International Maritime Rescue Federation

Replaces former IMO Secretary-General Sir Efthimios Mitropoulos following an 11-year tenure
SAR Matters Webinar

SAR Matters: Defining Distress Continued ...

People known to be in distress need to be rescued, of course – and the SAR community knows that this concept must also be extended to those believed to be in distress, and to those who, while not yet in distress, will become so if help is not provided to them in the meantime.
OLD - Join the IMRF - OLD

The IMRF brings together and represents the world’s maritime search and rescue organisations, including voluntary and governmental organisations, as well as suppliers to the sector, to improve maritime SAR capabilities worldwide.
MRO Home
The IMRF & Our Mission
Contact Us
Staff
Basic Rescue Boat Operator Manual & Search Cards

This manual, together with the accompanying Rescue Boat Operator Search Cards, provides recommended best practice for any organisation looking at introducing basic training in Rescue Boat SAR operations.
Join Our Mailing List
Dean Storey, Assistant Commissioner NSW State Emergency Service tells us a bit about his background and his career up to this point

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is an emergency and rescue service dedicated to assisting the community. It is a volunteer-based organisation providing emergency assistance to the people of NSW 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The IMRF #WomenInSAR Initiative

The #WomenInSAR initiative aims to increase the representation of women in the maritime sector generally and to provide support for, and raise the profile of, women in the maritime SAR sector specifically.